blamebrampton (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blamebrampton) wrote2009-11-19 12:14 am
blamebrampton) wrote2009-11-19 12:14 am
In which we stretch an analogy a little ...
I was talking with a lovely young person earlier today about her idea for an hp_religion fest. Despite the fact that I am a godless heathen, I find religion endlessly fascinating and think that it works very well as a lens through which to view the Potterverse (obviously, since the author was consciously constructing a Christian allegory in parts).
Thinking about this, I had an epiphany of sorts, which relates strongly to the current brouhaha* on mpreg among my fandom friends.
My atheism does not affect the religiosity of some of my friends. Their beliefs do not affect my atheism. I would consider it the height of rudeness to tell them they cannot believe in their sundry gods, and they, after a cursory effort to convert me in a few cases, do not tell me that I must believe in one of their religions.
Some of them do believe that I am going to hell. Some of them believe that I am missing some basic truth of the universe. I believe that they believe in something a bit basically odd. Every now and then I have one of those conversations that goes: 'But how can you believe there's nothing?' 'How can you believe in something that is obviously an anthropological artefact?' 'No seriously, nothing? How?!'
However, in both cases, it doesn't matter. My lack of belief, my friends' beliefs, they are things that are important to US, not things that we need each other to adopt. The things that unite us, that bind us, are far deeper and more important.
Similarly, I think that there are lots of things in fandom that we take very very personally, but they are important to us as individuals, and when we try to make the personal public, it's just a recipe for disaster.
One of my friends loves mpreg because it soothes her soul, one of them loves it because it allows her to investigate whole new ideas in stories. I think it's fairly daft because I think stories about babies and pregnancy are essentially daft, just as I don't like avocado and am the least romantic person in the world. It doesn't matter! I leave more avocado for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
pushdragon ! My mpreg atheism does not weaken anyone's mpreg faith! It's exactly the same as the way that gay marriage doesn't weaken straight marriages.
Anyway,heathen_archive , come back! Maggie and Liz, chins up! And everyone else, like what you like, even if it's not me ;-)
* It's certainly more than a kerfuffle, but not yet a schism, and too personal to some to be considered wank.
Thinking about this, I had an epiphany of sorts, which relates strongly to the current brouhaha* on mpreg among my fandom friends.
My atheism does not affect the religiosity of some of my friends. Their beliefs do not affect my atheism. I would consider it the height of rudeness to tell them they cannot believe in their sundry gods, and they, after a cursory effort to convert me in a few cases, do not tell me that I must believe in one of their religions.
Some of them do believe that I am going to hell. Some of them believe that I am missing some basic truth of the universe. I believe that they believe in something a bit basically odd. Every now and then I have one of those conversations that goes: 'But how can you believe there's nothing?' 'How can you believe in something that is obviously an anthropological artefact?' 'No seriously, nothing? How?!'
However, in both cases, it doesn't matter. My lack of belief, my friends' beliefs, they are things that are important to US, not things that we need each other to adopt. The things that unite us, that bind us, are far deeper and more important.
Similarly, I think that there are lots of things in fandom that we take very very personally, but they are important to us as individuals, and when we try to make the personal public, it's just a recipe for disaster.
One of my friends loves mpreg because it soothes her soul, one of them loves it because it allows her to investigate whole new ideas in stories. I think it's fairly daft because I think stories about babies and pregnancy are essentially daft, just as I don't like avocado and am the least romantic person in the world. It doesn't matter! I leave more avocado for
pushdragon ! My mpreg atheism does not weaken anyone's mpreg faith! It's exactly the same as the way that gay marriage doesn't weaken straight marriages.Anyway,
heathen_archive , come back! Maggie and Liz, chins up! And everyone else, like what you like, even if it's not me ;-)* It's certainly more than a kerfuffle, but not yet a schism, and too personal to some to be considered wank.
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And you're not alone in your surprise, Cheryl. I thought this was going to be a scroll-past debate until it suddenly went nuclear.
Pointless comments are often charming and friendly, you know!
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I'm actually surprised at people bringing up topics like this during the holidays. I don't know anyone that isn't stressed out to max capacity right now. I'm not sure about the rest of the world, but in the US, Thanksgiving can be the MOST stressful holiday, because that's when it's traditional to gather together with friends and family for the most perfect dinner you can create. Which generally dissolves into excessive drinking, family screaming fights, physical brawling, and possible police action.
Good times. :D
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Religion is a very relaxed topic for me ;-P
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Most people think Christmas is the most stressful time with the buying and shopping and cooking, but for me it was always Thanksgiving and the fact that people would be invading my SANCTUM (i.e. MY KITCHEN) and just thinking about it would send me running for the alcohol. I equate it to someone opening up one of my fics and saying, "Let's change this to this and cross out this scene here and we'll add a Mary Sue here..."
I might have kitchen issues.
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